Electrical connectors are typically used to connect multiple electrical devices such that the electrical devices may electrically communicate. To facilitate communication, electrical connectors include electrically conductive contacts or terminals to pass electrical signals from device to device. Electrical contacts are typically manufactured using a stamping process. Stamping is a manufacturing technique that transforms a relatively thin sheet of metal into a predetermined design by pressing the sheet of metal between machinery at tremendous forces.
To meet the ever-increasing demand for the miniaturization of electrical connectors, the electrical contacts therein must also be very small. As a result, the manufacturing tolerances used in the stamping process must be restrictive in order to manufacture a relatively small contact to a predetermined design suitable for fit into an electrical connector.
One example of a stamped terminal design is a terminal having a dual beam configuration. When a dual beam contact is stamped, the resulting terminal must meet certain predetermined design criteria for use in an electrical connector. One such predetermined design criteria is spring rate. The spring rate of a contact terminal is defined as how much force is required to deflect the contact a distance; spring rate is measured in force per unit distance. Consequently, the stamping process must be tailored with restrictive tolerances such that the resulting stamped terminals have the proper spring rate for use in an electrical connector. However, achieving the restrictive tolerances required to stamp contacts with a determined spring rate can be expensive and time-consuming.
Consequently, there is a need for an electrical connector that can use contacts manufactured without such restrictive tolerances.